This invention relates to analysis of images in general and more particularly to a method and apparatus for greatly increasing the data rates at which images can be analyzed, utilizing a previously developed image analysis technique.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,060,713, granted to M. J. E. Golay on Nov. 29, 1977, and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, describes an extremely powerful image analysis technique. This technique is one in which an image, either photographic or otherwise, is first digitized and represented by a two-dimensional field of binary information. The information is arranged in such a form that every image element, except those at the edges, is surrounded by a hexagonal pattern of the other image elements. In the process, the pattern of information contained in the six neighboring elements immediately surrounding each element is determined. Thereafter, in accordance with the logic equations developed by Golay a modification of the central element being examined is carried out. After this is done for all elements in the field of elements, a new image results which can then be stored. Numerous logical operations are possible, such as the combination of a field before and after processing, combination of two processed fields, and so on. The techniques developed by Golay permit operations such as shrinking the image, swelling the image, isolating holes in images, and so on. All of this is described in much more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,060,713, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. The processing of the images and the analysis which takes place will hereinafter be referred to as the Golay process.
In the method and apparatus described in the aforementioned patent, processing is done on an element by element basis. Such a process thus requires a significant amount of time to analyze a large image.